COLONY OF JACKDAWS. 151 



ing into the midst of them, and executing several 

 rapid movements in the air, he succeeded in 

 effectually driving them to a considerable dis- 

 tance from his nest. During this manoeuvre the 

 superior size of the raven became more apparent 

 than when viewed alone, and his power of flight 

 was advantageously exhibited by comparison with 

 that of his smaller congener. The latter, indeed, 

 seemed to bear about the same relation to him in 

 point of size that starlings do to rooks when seen 

 together. 



The raven's riest was placed in a fork on the 

 very summit of one of the highest of these trees, 

 while their hollow trunks were tenanted by a 

 numerous colony of jackdaws. Some of the holes 

 through which these entered were so near the 

 ground that I had no difficulty in reaching them 

 when on horseback, while others were situated at 

 a much greater height. These conducted to the 

 chambers in which the nests were placed, and 

 which were generally far removed from the exter- 

 nal aperture by which the birds entered their 

 tower-like habitation. 



On thrusting my whip upwards into many of 

 these passages, I found it impossible to touch the 

 further extremity, while a few cavities of smaller 

 dimensions were within reach of my hand, and 

 contained nests constructed of short, dry sticks, 



